PCOS: The Symptoms And Management Tips Every Woman Should Know

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Mentor 2Day
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Throughout their lives, women experience many changes in their bodies. From puberty to menopause, these changes are deeply felt both physically and emotionally.

But sadly, as if they weren’t challenging enough on their own, there’s a lot of societal baggage surrounding these bodily changes.

However, changes in weight, shape, or other physical traits are something that happen to everyone. Age, childbearing, and hormone levels are all major players in our bodies’ evolutions, and they’re all totally normal. No two women are ever alike, and so their changes will be unique.

But sometimes, those changes fall outside the range of the typical. When that happens, unexpected and sometimes very challenging changes can take place, and they can be caused by a specific condition.

One condition is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Affecting possibly as much as 20 percent of the population of women, this condition is characterized by a set of symptoms that can be very severe and disruptive.

They can also pose emotional challenges as they bring all those societal hang-ups about women’s bodies to the fore.

But if you have or think you might have PCOS, there’s hope. While there is not yet a cure, there are plenty of easy ways to manage the condition.

Hormones affect our moods as well as our bodies, as women who experience PMS everywhere know.

For women with PCOS, feelings of tension, depression, or irritability may be even more severe.

Experiencing body changes like weight gain and body hair growth, due to society’s pressures to look a certain way as well as wanting to feel at home in your own body, will often also exacerbate these feelings.

So what can you do if you have PCOS?

How Can I Manage My PCOS?

Management Tip #1: Adjust Your Diet

Certain foods will aggravate symptoms and raise hormone and insulin levels, so it’s best to make some dietary changes first and foremost.

For managing insulin levels, look for low-glycemic foods and eat plenty of leafy green vegetables, fresh fruits, and lean meat and fatty fish high in Omega-3.

Avoid soy products, as they can interfere with hormone levels, as well as processed foods that can cause spikes in insulin levels.

Dairy raises testosterone levels, so is also best avoided.

Management Tip #2: Try Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral used by the body as an electrolyte, and helps with metabolism as well as blood sugar and blood pressure regulation.

It also keeps stress hormones in check. Many women with PCOS are lacking in this mineral.

Your magnesium intake can be upped by way of a simple dietary supplement. Look for Magnesium Glycinate.

You can also try an Epsom salt bath or a magnesium oil spray, which allow for magnesium to be absorbed through the skin.

Management Tip #3: Exercise

The best kind of exercise for PCOS is intense exercise. How intense? You should be breaking a sweat in the first few minutes.

Your ideal workout should last anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.

You should also work toward increasing your resistance, which will build muscle and raise your metabolism.

Talk with a doctor or trainer to determine your fitness level for a healthy and safe starting point.

Management Tip #4: Consult With An Aesthetician

There are many options for hair removal out there, as you probably already know since women everywhere are constantly bombarded with them.

If you’d like to remove excess hair, you just need to find out which option works for you. Shaving, waxing, creams and bleaches, laser removal, and electrolysis are all options.

Check out the pros and cons of each, and see what works best for you. Or, you could just let it grow out! No shame either way.

Management Tip #5: Talk To A Therapist

Spiking hormones and a body changing in unexpected ways can make us feel out of control.

Not conforming to an ideal of beauty can make us feel ashamed of our bodies or like we’ve somehow failed.

Explaining our condition over and over again can make us irritated, stressed, and exhausted.

And all of this can weigh heavily on the mind and body and cause anxiety and depression, which are very real, serious illnesses with physical side effects.

If you’ve feeling overwhelmed, seek counseling with a professional. They can help you manage your emotions and learn the skills you need to meet life’s challenges.

Management Tip #6: Talk To Your Doctor

Most women with PCOS take some kind of medication, typically to manage their hormone levels.

Since all bodies are different, there is no one “right” prescription for everyone.

Talk to your doctor, or to an endocrinologist, about finding the right medications, doses, and management plan for you.

They can help you find the right levels, and also teach you about how PCOS medications may interact with other health issues.

If you or someone you know have symptoms of PCOS, please SHARE this important information to help spread awareness!